REU Site: Undergraduate Research Training Program in Protein Dynamics: A multifaceted approach to understand its role in protein function in vitro and in vivo

Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland OH

Investigators

Abstract

This award, made to Case Western Reserve University is supported by the NSF Divisions of Biological Infrastructure (DBI) and Chemistry (CHE), in the Directorates for Biological Sciences (BIO) and Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS), respectively. The Department of Physiology and Biophysics at Case Western Reserve University will provide research training for 8 students during the summers of 2010-2012. Participating students will work for 10 weeks during the summer on research projects related to protein dynamics. The topic of protein dynamics will be addressed at different interrelated levels, ranging from the folding of protein structures, to their fluctuations in catalysis, to binding and regulatory events, to protein transport and degradation. In addition, the program will engage participating students in a variety of activities including: 1) a course in bioethics; 2) a course in database searching and analysis, and manuscript writing; 3) data presentation, analysis and discussion; 4) lectures sponsored by the NSF-ACES (Academic Careers in Engineering & Science) program. The REU site aims are to attract undergraduate students, with particular emphasis on underrepresented minority students and students form colleges lacking a strong research program, and to train participating students in the professional skills needed for biological research and/or teaching in science related fields. The program is open to undergraduate students working towards a major in physics, chemistry, biochemistry, biology, or computational science. The program is designed to expose the students to a wide range of practices in biological research: from designing experiments to test a specific hypothesis, to data analysis and presentation, to writing abstract and a final report, to ethics-related issue. The students are expected to actively participate to all the indicated aspects of the program and to gain an appreciation of the bioethics issues associated with conducting biological research. NSF-supported and departmental mechanisms will be used to monitor students' progression through the program, and to assess the effectiveness of the program itself. Additional information and application materials can be found at http://physiology.case.edu/ or by contacting the program director, Dr. Andrea Romani, at amr5@po.cwru.edu or 216-368-1625.